Eleven Days
by dabbling
Summary: A train wreck, the family is split. Will Adam be able to bring them back together?
1. Day 1

A/N This is another old one, previously posted on Behind the Wagon.

* * *

Eleven Days

Day One

Time seemed to have stopped. All Little Joe knew was that something terrible had happened, and he had to find his Pa. He heard people groaning, and tried to muster up his courage. The seven year old stood and looked around. The train car lay on its side in the grass and weeds, and he was outside it, several feet from the doorway. Shakily, he walked toward the door of the car. A pile of luggage blocked his way. As he tried to raise his foot to climb over the luggage, a bloody hand reached out and grabbed his leg. He screamed and jerked himself free, running back to where he started.

Joe looked at the fallen car again. Unwilling tears fell from his eyes as he considered what to do next. He couldn=t get back in to find Pa and Hoss. The only way to save them was to go for help. Joe brushed the tears away with his hand and looked at the landscape around him. He saw large rolling hills in every direction. Just to the south, near the top of a peak, he saw smoke. He took one deep breath and ran for the smoke.

* * *

Hoss felt a searing pain in his side, and gasped. Then he felt another, and realized someone=s hands were the cause of it. He tried to push the hands away, but found his right arm was hurting, too. Hoss opened his eyes.

Two strangers hovered over him, a gray haired lady and a dark haired man. The lady noticed his eyes were open. "Stop, it hurts!" Hoss whined.

She took hold of his left hand and her voice was calm and soothing. "The doctor's just having a look at you. It won't take but a minute, young man." He grimaced at another prod, and she smoothed his hair back. "What's your name?"

"Hoss Cartwright." At the sound of his name, Hoss remembered his Pa and Little Joe. "Where's my Pa? And my little brother?" He almost sat up, but they held him down.

"You hold still, young man. You've got two broken ribs, and moving around like that is just going to make things worse."

The lady smiled at him. "Tell me your Pa and brothers' names and I'll see if I can't find them for you."

"Pa's Ben Cartwright, and my little brother is Joseph. He's only seven."

"All right, all right. Now you just relax and get some rest, and when I come back I'll be able to tell you about your family."

Hoss closed his eyes a moment, then jerked them open again. "Ma'am? What's your name?"

She smiled again. "I'm Evelyn Owens. Now you get some rest."

"Thank you, Mrs. Owens," he mumbled before he drifted off. Evelyn and the doctor conferred outside his door, just out of earshot.

"The arm needs to be set and the ribs wrapped up. He should be fine."

"Doctor, what about his father, Ben Cartwright?"

"That's his father? I just saw him an hour ago." The doctor paused and frowned. "I can't say, Evelyn. I just can't say."

"Have you heard of a seven year old boy named Joseph?"

"No, but that doesn't mean he's not here somewhere. There were so many passengers on that train..."

"You go ahead and make your rounds, doctor. I'll make inquiry about his brother."

"After you set the arm and wrap him up."

"Yes, Doctor."

* * *

Night was coming on, and in the thick woods, Joe was tripping on everything. The hill was getting steeper, and he could find nothing that looked even the slightest bit like a trail. He just kept running forward, picking himself back up when he fell. The smoke was a long way up, and if he just kept going, he would reach it eventually.

His stomach was growling, and he would have given anything for a drink, but he hadn't seen any streams nearby, and he didn't recognize any of these plants. There were mushrooms on the ground, but Adam had warned him once that you had to be careful of mushrooms, because some of them were poisonous.

Little Joe clambered up the hill until he couldn't see his hand in front of him. Tearfully, he realized he had to stop. He laid down near the trunk of a tree and scraped leaves up over himself for warmth.

* * *

Ben Cartwright laid on his back, arms stretched out at his sides, asleep. Hoss saw the bruise marks on his face and arms, and knew that Mrs. Owens had said he was hurt very badly. Hoss had been staring at him for an hour, now, and he hadn't even moved. The doctor said he'd fractured his skull, and he wore a bandage that covered his entire hairline. They were afraid he'd also broken his neck, but there was no way to know that for sure until he woke up.

Hoss wanted to cry again, but the tears wouldn't come. Mrs. Owens hadn't been able to find Little Joe, and the Sheriff said he'd go back to the crash site at first light and look again. Apparently, four of the train cars had derailed, and three of them had been passenger cars. They'd been bringing in casualties and corpses for hours. The Sheriff assured Hoss that Little Joe hadn't been inside any of the derailed cars. Probably, he'd been thrown from one, and they would pick him up easily at dawn.

The Sheriff had meant to be comforting, but Hoss found little comfort in his words. All he could think of was Little Joe shivering in the dark.


	2. Day 2

Day 2

Adam tied Sport to a rail just outside the telegraph office and skipped up the step. "Morning, Harold," he said, pushing his hat back off his forehead in lieu of removing it entirely. "Any word from Pa?"

"Yessir, Adam. Came in yesterday morning." The operator handed Adam a piece of paper.

He read:

Adam [stop]

Arrived in St. Louis safely last night [stop]

Will head for home on the first train tomorrow [stop]

See you soon [stop]

Pa

Adam folded the telegram up and stuffed it into his shirt, smiling. "Thanks, Harold," he called as he left the office. Pa, Hoss and Little Joe had gone to Chicago to visit Marie's sister, and Adam had been left behind to tend to the ranch. Although Adam had enjoyed the responsibility, he was looking forward to handing it back to his Pa. At 19, it was hard to be the boss of men twice, some even three times your age. As he headed for the cafe to get breakfast, he whistled a happy tune. Seeing the Territorial Enterprise office ahead of him, he stopped. There had been no paper at the Ponderosa this morning. Curiosity got the best of him and Adam stopped in to find out what happened to his newspaper.

"Morning, Adam," Wilbur called, as he tossed the final stack of papers onto the pile to be loaded into the wagon.

"Wilbur," Adam replied.

"What brings you by?"

"I didn't get my paper this morning, wondered why. Breaking news?"

"Yes, indeed, Adam. Here," Wilbur said as he handed him a paper.

Adam read quickly:

Train Derailment Outside St. Louis- 7 Killed, Over 50 hurt!

As he read, Adam's stomach knotted up into a ball. "Do you know who was killed?" he asked quietly.

"No, Adam, casualty lists probably won't come in until today." Wilbur stopped, as realization dawned. "You don't think your Pa-"

Adam handed the paper back. "See ya later, Wilbur." He walked back to the telegraph office.

* * *

Little Joe's hunger demanded that he rise, though it was still somewhat dark outside. Raising his left hand, he wiped away the wet leaves that were clinging to his face and hair. Dew had settled on everything in the woods, including him. He coughed, and was surprised at how congested his throat was. The boy cleared his throat and spat on the ground, then glanced around, trying to get his bearings.

Finally, after a few minutes, he continued his upward trek, stumbling at first, until his mind fully awakened. He looked around feverishly for something safe to eat, but was unable to identify anything. Wearily, he plodded on.

* * *

Frowning, Adam folded up the new telegram and marched out of the telegraph office and down the street to the Sheriff. Roy was just pouring his morning coffee when Adam clomped through the door.

"Mornin', Adam!" the Sheriff said cheerfully. "I was just fixin' my coffee. Would you like a cup?"

Grimly, Adam shook his head. "Roy, I've come to ask a favor."

Roy read the seriousness in the boy's face and set his cup down. "Anything, son. What's the trouble?"

"Roy, Pa and Hoss and Little Joe were on that train from Saint Louis. It derailed, and I haven't been able to get any information about them."

Roy's jaw dropped. "The train derailed? I'm sorry, Adam, this is the first I've heard of it."

"It was in today's paper." Adam shook himself, trying to still his nerves. "Roy, I wonder if you might be able to help. They may pay more attention if the request comes from someone in a position of authority."

"You don't have to say another word, Adam. Let's go."

* * *

When Hoss awoke, Mrs. Owens was sitting at his bedside, her hand brushing across his forehead. "Good morning," she said quietly.

Hoss blushed. "Mornin'", he mumbled.

Removing her hand, she said, "You've no sign of fever. Are you feeling all right this morning?"

As gently as he could, Hoss sat up, wincing when he felt the pressure on his ribs. "Yes, ma'am. I'm all right, I reckon."

She smiled. "I've brought your breakfast for you. Are you hungry?"

At the thought of food, Hoss' eyes lit up. "Am I hungry? Boy, am I hungry!"

* * *

It was midafternoon when Little Joe first heard the sound of running water. He traversed the ground toward it, and was rewarded when he saw a clear, running stream. Greedily, he raced to the bank, fell to his knees, and drank.

Drinking the water relieved his dry, parched mouth and throat, but he found it only intensified his hunger. He scanned the water for signs of fish, but found none. After looking around at the foliage again, Joe decided that he would drink his hunger away. He sat down and scooped handful after handful into his mouth. Finally, it seemed to have worked.

No longer able to see the smoke, Little Joe backtracked to where he'd been and headed straight up the hill.

* * *

Hoss sat at his Pa's bedside, watching the man's steady breathing. Mrs. Owens was talking over his shoulder.

"The Sheriff's got an army of volunteers. They're scouring the countryside for him. Has he ever run off before?"

Hoss thought, "Has he ever run off before? What kind of question is that? That blamed kid has run off so many times, it makes me wanna spit! But this is different. He ain't never run away like this. He was scared. And Little Joe, all alone, scared, in country he don't know... if he were just near home, there wouldn't be so much worry. But here... Little Joe probably can't even figure out what's good to eat!"

"Hoss?"

"Yes'm?"

"Has he run off before?"

"Yes'm, he has."

"Well, maybe that's good. Maybe he'll already know something about keeping warm and finding food and all." Looking down, she saw the thirteen-year-old's shoulders shaking. Silently, she reached her arm around him and held him as he sobbed.

* * *

Little Joe was getting thirsty again. The day had been hot and muggy, and he found himself sweating. Looking around, he saw no sign of the morning's stream. Sadly, he decided to detour back the way he figured the stream was running and then follow it as far uphill as it would take him.

At nightfall, he burrowed into a pile of leaves near the stream and tried to sleep. He awoke at every sound, from the hoot owl overhead somewhere to the cricket that landed in the leaves near his leg. Finally, the child covered his ears and burrowed down inside the pile of leaves as far as he possibly could.


	3. Day 3

Day 3

"Thanks for everything, Roy," Adam said, shaking the Sheriff's hand.

"Ain't nothin', Adam. You fetch that family of your'n. Bring 'em back home where they belong."

Letting go the Sheriff's hand, Adam climbed into the stage, pulled the door shut and smacked the side. With the driver's loud yell, the coach bolted forward.

* * *

Sean McBride's horse was still ailing, and so he set out on foot to hunt some game to feed himself and his wife. He held the long rifle easily against his shoulder and walked with an easy gait. His wife Bonnie had shooed him out the door at the crack of dawn, knowing that he needed to spend some time communing with nature. They'd been cooped up in the house for too long, now, since the horse took sick.

He smiled. At least it appeared the animal would recover. If he'd lost the horse, they'd be starting over for sure. He heard a rustling of leaves and carefully directed his rifle at the noise. Then he heard coughing. A child's cough. Sean lifted his rifle back against his shoulder and looked carefully at the ground before him.

There, not ten feet away from the stream, at the foot of a maple, he saw movement in a pile of leaves. Sean approached slowly, bent down, and dug his hand into the leaves. As he raked them backwards, he saw a boy buried there.

He looked to be a sick boy. His face was pale but flushed, and he was filthy. Sean shook him gently. "Boy? Wake up." The child only coughed again and pressed his eyes shut tighter.

Sean felt his forehead, and found that the child had a fever. He scratched his head and leaned his long rifle momentarily against the trunk of the tree. He scooped the boy into his arms and heard the weakly spoken word, "Pa," come from the child's lips. McBride supported the child with one arm and retrieved his rifle with the other. "Won't Bonnie be surprised?" he thought.

* * *

Hoss sat at his Pa's side again. His own injuries were healing. He felt less pain now, but it was probably just that he was getting used to it, expecting it. His arm and ribs were still broken, after all. The few days since the accident had given Ben's body time to swell and bruise in many colors. He was a pitiful sight, and a frightening one, but Hoss was content that his chest continued to rise and fall evenly. Without warning, he saw his father's lips move.

"Pa?"

Ben's face contorted in pain and he whined.

"Pa, it's all right, you're in a hospital. You're gonna be all right, Pa!"

Ben groaned.

"Pa, you just go on and wake up. I'll go fetch the doctor." As quickly as he could, Hoss rose and scurried into the hall, where he found the doctor and brought him back.

"Mr. Cartwright, can you open your eyes for me?" The doctor asked.

Slowly, Ben opened his eyes and squinted at the man.

"Excellent. Can you see me, Mr. Cartwright? I'm doctor Harkin."

Ben grunted and his eyes searched the room until they landed on Hoss. "Hoss?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Right here, Pa," Hoss said, squeezing the man's hand with his good arm.

"You okay?"

"Sure, Pa, just busted up some, that's all."

Ben's eyes closed and Hoss gripped his hand more tightly. "Little Joe?" Ben asked.

Hoss glanced at the doctor who shook his head. Then he looked at his Pa. He knew his father would see through any lie he tried to tell. "Pa, uhm, Little Joe's... missin'."

Ben's eyes flew open in alarm. Hoss continued, "The Sheriff thinks he made it through the wreck all right, and then wandered off looking for help. He thinks he can find him."

Ben stared at his son, and in his pain knew that he could not bear a burden of worry for Little Joe. He borrowed his son's faith. Squeezing Hoss' hand, he closed his eyes again.

* * *

"My God! Sean!" Bonnie cried when she saw the sickly child in his arms. She ran to the kitchen and dipped a rag in water, then came back and gently swabbed the boy's face.

"He's full of fever," Sean said. "I can feel the heat comin' right through his clothes."

"He can't be more than six or seven," Bonnie observed. "Lay him on the bed. I'll clean him up and tend to his fever."

Her husband did as he was told, stopping only to remove the child's clothes so his wife's task would be easier. The child coughed as they tended him, and Bonnie's face became drawn with worry.

"Where on earth did he come from?"

"I don't rightly know," said Sean. "I found him buried in some leaves near the stream. I suppose he'd been there all night."

* * *

When Adam arrived in Denver, he sent a telegram to St. Louis and another to Roy Coffee. The reply from St. Louis had simply said that Hoss and his Pa were both hospitalized. The reply from Roy worried him.

Adam [stop]

Your Pa and Hoss on the casualty list [stop]

At Central Hospital in St. Louis [stop]

Little Joe has not been found [stop]

Sheriff's posse been looking since Day 2 [stop]

Still no sign of him [stop]

Roy

Thinking of his youngest brother, Adam tried to alleviate his worry. Little Joe was very smart. He'd tagged along (without permission) on enough round-ups that he knew the basics of survival. Still, he was in a new terrain. Grumpily, Adam marched back to the hotel, where he would have to wait all night long before the train left in the morning.

* * *

"I managed to get some broth in him," Bonnie reported. "Poor thing. He seemed to be starved!"

"Pa?" came the voice from the next room.

Bonnie hurried in and took his hand, while Sean waited in the doorway. "Your Pa's not here, honey. You're with me, Bonnie McBride, and my husband, Sean. He found you out in the woods."

It took Little Joe a moment to process this news. He'd been sure he must have been in some hotel with Pa and Hoss. Then he remembered...

"Can you tell us how you came to be in the woods?"

The boy swallowed hard, and nodded. "We was on a train. It wrecked. I tried to go in after Pa, but I couldn't. Then I saw smoke on the hill, so I ran for help." His story told, he let a cough escape him.

Upon hearing the story, Sean took a deeper interest in the boy. He thought he was simply a runaway, but now he knew better. "How many days were you out there, boy?"

"Two."

"Didn't you have any food with you?"

"No sir," he whispered. "I didn't think it was so far."

Sean went to the bedside, waited for the cough to subside, and gave him a drink of water. The couple fed him more broth, gave him more water, and bathed him down again to reduce his fever. His cough now seemed to be moving into his chest. They did what they could to soothe him, and then went to sleep on the floor in the living room. They did not hear him wake in the middle of the night and cry for his family.


	4. Day 4

Day 4

Pa writhed in the sheets, favoring one side. He hardly moved his head, so painful it was to turn his neck. The doctor came in and gave him laudanum. Before long, the big man was fast asleep.

"Don't worry, young man. I know it's frightening to see him suffer so, but this is actually a very good sign. His neck isn't broken, as we feared. He's just..." The doctor thought a moment. "Have you ever slept funny and woke with a crick in your neck?" Hoss nodded. "It's a little like that, only it hurts more. His neck hurts that way, and it looks like his back does, too. It'll get better, though. It will just take some time."

"What about that medicine?" Hoss asked.

"Laudanum? Oh, it helps relieve pain, but it also makes you sleepy. I'll give it to him until it seems that the pain is more tolerable." Smiling at the teen, the doctor squeezed his shoulder and then left.

* * *

"Surely someone's looking for him." It was a simple statement, and they both hoped it was true.

"Bonnie, dear, without a horse, there's not a thing we can do but walk him to town."

Her eyes darkened. She knew Sean was right. It would take several days to walk to town, and the boy wasn't strong enough yet for a trip like that.

"I could go myself, bring back some men and some horses," Sean volunteered.

Bonnie turned and looked at the wall of the bedroom, seeing the child in her mind. "If he's just sickly because of not eating, he should be strong enough to make the trip in a couple of days. We'll wait. If he doesn't seem better by Monday, then off you'll go."

Sean nodded and held her hand a moment before going out to tend to the horse.

* * *

The train stopped about fifty miles west of St. Louis, and all the passengers were loaded into waiting wagons and coaches. The wreckage had not been completely removed yet, and so this was how the company had decided to keep its obligation to its passengers.

Adam was very quiet during the wagon ride. When they passed the site of the derailment, his stomach turned. Teams of men and horses worked to right one of the mangled cars, and the ground had deep scars from the scraping of the metal. Even though he knew it was hopeless, his eyes searched everywhere for Little Joe.

It was dark when the wagon stopped in front of the Central Hospital. Adam thanked the driver and carried his carpet bag inside. He walked down the hall, peeking in doors for signs of his family or of someone who could help him.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's far too late for visiting," a woman's voice said behind him.

Adam turned and looked at her apologetically. "I just want to know how my father and brother are. I've just come in on the train, all the way from Nevada Territory, and they were in that derailment the other day...?"

"Oh, you poor thing! What are their names?"

"Ben Cartwright and Hos-Eric Cartwright."

"Adam?" Hoss asked, interrupting them.

Adam spun around and hurried to greet his brother in the hall. He gave him a quick hug, careful not to hurt his broken arm. "Hoss, you're all right?"

"Yeah, Adam, I'm all right," he said, and then broke down crying.

Adam held him and led him to a chair to sit down. Finally, he seemed to have gotten ahold of himself.

"I'm sorry Adam, I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right, Hoss. It's all right." He gave him a few more minutes to settle down. "How's Pa?"

Hoss wiped his eyes and swallowed. "He's hurt real bad, Adam. The doc says he'll be okay, but he didn't even wake up until yesterday. His head's busted and he's bruised up everywhere, and they keep giving him laudanum cause he's hurtin' so bad."

Adam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Any news of Little Joe?"

The tears welled up in Hoss' eyes again. "No. The Sheriff ain't found nothin'."

Adam put his arm around his brother and they stayed that way for quite some time. "Take me to Pa?" Adam whispered finally.

Sniffling, Hoss stood and led Adam down the hall.


	5. Day 5

Day 5

"Adam?" Ben whispered.

"Yeah, Pa?"

"Little Joe."

"I know, Pa. Hoss told me about him," Adam said sadly. "The Sheriff's still got a slew of volunteers out looking for him."

Ben reached up his hand towards his oldest son. "Adam. You've got to make sure-"

"All right, Pa. I'll make sure. Now stop worrying." Adam squeezed his father's hand affectionately. Finally, the man gave in to the effects of the laudanum and drifted off.

Adam expelled a deep breath and stood, pausing to rub his eyes, hard. Glancing back at his father, he was overwhelmed at how frail the man seemed. Ben Cartwright had never been weak. For as long as Adam could remember, he'd been there, fighting off monsters and devils and protecting him from all of his fears. Clenching his teeth, he fought off the sob that he could feel swelling in his throat. He had to make sure they were doing everything possible to find Little Joe. Pa'd entrusted him with that. He had to live up to that trust. Adam stiffened his back and left the room.

* * *

The boy's fever had dissipated, but he still wore dark circles around his eyes. Bonnie ran her hand through his dark curls. "What would you like for lunch? I imagine a growing boy like you must get tired of broth!"

Little Joe coughed and absently rubbed his throat with his fingers. "Yeah, I guess I am tired of it," he rasped.

"Would you like some chicken? Or perhaps bacon and eggs?" She waited for him to finish coughing.

"Some bacon?"

"Coming right up, young sir!" Before she left the room, she moved the pot of steaming water closer to the bed. Little Joe Cartwright stared at the logs in the ceiling and wheezed.

* * *

It was two in the afternoon by the time Adam found the Sheriff. He shook his hand hastily and explained who he was.

"I sure am sorry about your brother, Mr. Cartwright. We've been scouring the hills for days. To be frank, I'm just about to call it off."

"But you can't do that!"

"Look, I think I understand how you feel. But you just don't understand. There's no trace of him. Nothing. No trail to follow. Just this morning, we lined up fifty volunteers and walked up the hillside arm in arm. Not a trace."

"Look, Sheriff, if you haven't found a trace of him, that means he's still alive. You've just gotta keep searching!"

The Sheriff lowered his head and scratched the crown of it with his fingertips. "Son, if your brother's still alive, he's so far up in those hills that we'll never find him."

"Then I'll find him myself," Adam growled, jamming his hat down over his head.

"Wait, please!" The Sheriff took his arm. "Your Pa's hurt bad, ain't he? Your place is here with him. I'll give it one more day. Maybe by then word will have started to spread up to the hill people, and somebody up thataway will find him and bring him down to us." As Adam nodded, the Sheriff gently patted his arm. "You stick with your Pa. I'll get word to you."


	6. Day 6

Day 6

Little Joe lay on his side, idly flipping through the only book the McBrides owned, their family Bible. It was large, and leatherbound. Joe opened it immediately to the woodcut pictures that were in the center of the old Book. They were powerful images, and they got the boy thinking about God and his presence in the midst of everything. Pa always said God was everywhere, and no matter what happened, he was always there with you.

He coughed, and then settled back into his thoughts. Before long, the child was saying a fervent prayer to God, hoping his family was still alive, asking that they be brought back together.

* * *

It was the first day that Hoss had set foot outside the hospital since the accident. Adam had reservations about Hoss taking a bumpy ride in the wagon, but his brother insisted. They rented a rig and set out slowly for the site of the wreck.

Adam could tell the jostling was hurting his brother, but Hoss made no words of complaint. He was anxious to see the site, and to look for signs of Joe.

A group of about thirty men and six teams of horses were at work, trying to set the final train car upright. Of the others, there was nothing left but the deep ruts of mud in the grassy field.

Adam parked the rig and walked over to lend his brother a hand stepping down. Hoss' eyes were distant and he was quiet for a long time. At last, he looked over and gave Adam his good arm so that he could climb down.

They walked the length of the field, Adam in one direction and Hoss in the other. Each came back along the perimeter of the forested area, looking for signs of Little Joe's tracks, but there were none. Where there were tracks, they were obviously left by the search party. The group was at it again today, as the Sheriff promised, only this time, they were much farther into the hills.

When the two brothers met again, Hoss was winded and sweating. "Why don't you sit down a while?" Adam suggested. Hoss nodded and Adam helped him get comfortable in the shade of an oak. Then Adam eased down beside him. The two stared out at the field, watching the railroad men work to remove the last traces of the accident.

"Don't hardly seem possible," Hoss said.

"What?"

"Just a few days ago... just a few days." He wanted to talk about Little Joe, but Hoss knew Adam was just as worried and afraid as he was, and talking about him would do nothing but make the fear stronger.

"Can you tell me about it, Hoss?"

Surprised at the question, Hoss glanced over at his older brother before responding. "We weren't long from St. Louis. Little Joe was drivin' Pa crazy with all the questions about could he go look at this thing or that'n, and finally, Pa told me just to take him and go walk up and down the car.

"We got about halfway down, and this fella stopped me and asked me somethin' and Little Joe just kept on goin'. I hollered at him, and that's when the car just flipped. I didn't even hear a noise or anything, it just flipped. I remember I was layin' there with this big fella on top of me and then I remember wakin' up in the hospital."

A silence fell over the two again. "Adam?"

"Hmmm?"

"What are we gonna do if they can't find Joe?"

Slowly, Adam turned his head and met his brother's gaze. It was the question he'd been avoiding for two days.


	7. Day 7

Day 7

"What do you think, Bonnie?"

Silently, she went to the kitchen, packed some food into a bag, and brought it to her husband. "I'll get him ready."

"How are you feeling today, my lad?"

Little Joe coughed,then swallowed. His voice faded as he spoke. "Better."

"Well, I'll wager you're feeling much better than you sound." The boy smiled. "We've got to get you dressed, we're going to start on the walk to town today."

"We're going to town?"

She nodded. "And when we get there, we'll try and find your Pa and brother."

Joe jumped out of bed. She grabbed his clothes from the top of the dresser and handed them to him, then left the room. Outside the door, she heard him coughing and wondered if her judgement was right. Bonnie took a moment and convinced herself that she was right, after all.

* * *

The Sheriff came to the hotel first thing in the morning. Adam answered the door, his shirt hanging open. He let the man in.

Hoss was sitting on the bed, clumsily trying to button his shirt overtop of his slung arm. He watched the Sheriff, and a cold fear crept over him as the man hung his head and sighed heavily.

"There was still no trace. I sent out four men last night to spread the word up in the hills, but it's been nearly a week..." He looked up at Adam, expecting to see anger there, or hope or pleading, but instead, he saw a nineteen year old boy trying to figure out how to tell his father that he'd lost his youngest son.

"Thank you, Sheriff," Adam whispered.

The Sheriff glanced at Hoss, and saw that he too, was lost in sorrowful thought. The Sheriff yearned to tell them something that would raise their hopes again, but the truth was that there was very little chance that boy was alive. And after this much time, there was little chance they'd ever even find his body.

"You fellas take care, now, and let me know if there's anything else I can do." He spoke quietly as he backed out of the door.

Adam raised two fingers and massaged his forehead slowly.

* * *

Pa turned his head when they came in, the first sign that he was really improving. He was obviously in pain, but he was no longer groaning.

"Mornin', Pa," Hoss said, not too cheerfully.

"Hi, Pa," Adam said. Ben said each of their names as they came to stand at his side. "How you feeling?"

Ben frowned. "They tell me I'm better."

"You sure do look better, Pa," Hoss interjected.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked, getting to the heart of matters.

Adam glanced at his brother momentarily for support. "We had a visit this morning from the Sheriff," Adam began.

"Little Joe?" Ben asked hopefully, though he could tell from their faces it would not be good news.

"They've called off the search, Pa. They've been over that ground more than a dozen times, and even combed their way up into the hillside. There's just no sign of him."

Both boys saw the look of despair that came over Ben's eyes. "We went out there, too, yesterday, Pa. There ain't nothin' there," Hoss said, hoping to help Adam deliver this news.

Tears fell down Ben's cheeks, and he squeezed his eyes shut to try and stop them.

"There's still some hope, Pa," Adam went on. "There are people that live up in the hills. The Sheriff sent out runners to send them the news, so they could look for him, too."

Although Adam tried to sound hopeful, Ben knew this was the last chance. He raised one arm and wiped the tears from his face. Hoss circled the bed and fell on his knees. He reached out with his left hand and draped it over his Pa's chest and cried. Before long, Adam was holding on to both of them, sobbing, too.

* * *

Sean carried the sleeping child in his arms. He'd walked far longer than he'd expected him to in his weakened state, and now was tuckered out. "We'll have to make camp soon," he commented. "Not much sunlight left."

Bonnie frowned. This was not as far as she'd hoped to be along the trail. "Well," she thought, "maybe a neighbor will come by who has a horse and might give us a lift."


	8. Day 8

Day 8

Although he'd seemed to take it well at the time, the news of Little Joe was quite a setback to Ben's recovery. He did not cry anymore, but he also stopped eating, and said very little to his sons when they came to see him.

Doctor Harkin loomed over him now, checking his vitals and his movement. Ben grimaced miserably. "You need to keep your strength up, Mr. Cartwright. I've heard that you've not been taking your meals."

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Laudanum?"

The doctor frowned and looked him over. He too, had heard of the search for the little boy being called off, and he, too, felt sympathy for the Cartwright family. He thought back to the first days when Ben had wakened. The pain had been real physical pain, then, and it looked nothing like this. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright, but I can't do that."

His patient's face grew dark with anger and he turned his head away. The doctor turned and looked at the younger Cartwrights. It was obvious that Adam had understood the exchange that had just taken place. Finally, Doctor Harkin left.

"Pa?" Adam said. His father's head was still turned toward the opposite wall. "Pa, I think-"

"I don't feel like talking right now," Adam, Ben snapped.

Adam opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. He gently tugged Hoss' sleeve and they left the room.

* * *

Little Joe walked with the couple on the forest path. His pace was much slower than the day before, and the two adults were watching him very closely.

"Are you all right, Joseph?" Bonnie asked him.

"Yeah," he said, and coughed. "I'm just sorta tired."

She gave her husband a pleading look. "Let's stop here and rest for a while," he said. He flipped the sack of provisions off his back and sat down next to them on the ground.

Bonnie rubbed Little Joe's back as he coughed. Then she held out a canteen to him. "Here, drink some water." He did as she said, and she snuck her hand up to his forehead again. "You're feeling warm again," she said, concerned.

Little Joe ignored her comment. Leaning against her soft leg, he closed his eyes.

Sean busied himself looking at the sky that was visible directly above the trail, where there were no trees. "It's going to take us a long while to get to town, I'm afraid," he said.

Little Joe sat up. "I can keep going, Mr. McBride."

Bonnie pulled him back against her leg. "No, young man. You get some rest. It's all right if it takes a long time to get to town. Mr. McBride will take care of us." She glared at her husband. He shrugged apologetically, then picked up a small stick and began to whittle.

After his rest, Joe was a little more energetic. The three ate lunch, then got back on the trail.

* * *

Ben lay on his side, looking out the open door, into the hall. He saw a table there, and on the top of the table was a tray full of bottles. His mind strayed and he thought of Little Joe. The last thing he'd said to him, what was it? Thinking back to the train, Ben remembered.

_"Pa, can't I just go look at the doorway, and see how the cars get hooked together? Can't I? Please?"_

_"Joseph, I told you to stop pestering me so!"_

_The child pouted. "Sorry," he mumbled._

_For the first time since they boarded the train, there was silence. After a few moments, Ben couldn't stand it any more. "Hoss, take your brother for a walk, to look around the train. Go on!"_

_Little Joe had smiled then, the last of his smiles that Ben would ever see._

Ben looked at the tray again, and saw the Laudanum bottle. Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself into a sitting position, and then stood.

Two steps were all that he could manage before he fell. His back smacked against the corner of a short table before he hit the floor. He held his breath against the pain and gripped the leg of the bed with one hand so hard that his fingers turned white.

"Pa!" Adam yelled, coming in quickly, followed by the doctor. Hoss hung in the doorway, watching.

The doctor looked him over quickly. "Let's get him back into bed," he said. Adam took hold of his Pa on one side and the doctor on the other. He cried out in pain and clutched at the sheets as they laid him down on his stomach on the bed. The doctor managed to raise his head enough to get him to swallow two spoonfuls of laudanum.

Through the pain, the thought flitted through Ben's mind that he hadn't wanted the laudanum this badly, after all.


	9. Day 9

Day 9

"You go on back to the hotel and get some rest, Hoss. I'll stay here with Pa."

"You sure, Adam?"

The elder brother saw him rub at his sore ribs again. "Yeah, I'm sure, Hoss."

Hoss smiled slightly, then walked carefully out of the room and down the hall. Adam slouched in the chair and rubbed his face with his hands. Wearily, he got up and looked out the window. The stars were up, now, and a sliver of a moon. Since the fall yesterday, his Pa had been hardly coherent because of the laudanum. The stubborn man had still refused to eat, however, and Adam was quite upset with him.

After some time, Adam heard his father stir. He hurried back to the bedside. "Pa?"

Ben clenched his teeth and groaned.

"Pa, you've gotta eat something." He retrieved a bowl from a tray in the corner and brought it over to his father.

"I don't want it," the older man grumbled.

Adam's jaw twitched with fury and he watched his Pa turn his head away. Angrily, he set the bowl down, and the broth sloshed out of it. "Pa, I've had just about enough of this."

Ben ignored this comment.

"Damn it, Pa, I'm trying to talk to you! At least have the courtesy to look at me!"

Slowly, Ben turned his head and saw his son's angry face.

"You think I don't know how you feel? I can't imagine going on without Little Joe, either! First Marie, and now Joe, and now you don't have anything left of her! I know what you're going through, Pa!" Tears began to gather in Adam's eyes. "You think you've got nothing left to live for, isn't that right?!"

Ben lowered his eyes momentarily, but Adam's voice drew his gaze again.

"Well, let me tell you somethin', Pa. You've still got something to live for. Hoss is just thirteen. He's still a kid! He needs you bad, Pa." A sob burst through Adam's final sentence. "And I need you too!" The tears rolled down his face and he buried his head in his father's chest.

Ben cried, too, and wrapped his arms around his son.


	10. Day 10

Day 10

They'd eaten the last of the provisions, so Sean went to gather food in the forest. He set a few snares and then went back to start a campfire. The boy was hanging in there, but he had less stamina each day. The cough persisted, and Bonnie was worried about him. Sean put coffee on to boil, then brought the canteen to the child.

"Thank you, Mr. McBride," he wheezed and then smiled.

The smile melted him. Sean reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. "We'll be there by tomorrow, for sure, son," he said, and the child's smile was renewed.

After drinking a cup of coffee, Sean checked the snares. One unfortunate rabbit was caught in one of them. Satisfied, Sean brought it back to camp and cooked it over the fire.

* * *

"I sure am glad to see you eatin' again, Pa," said Hoss.

Adam gave his father another spoonful. "I'm glad you haven't been asleep all day," Adam said.

Ben felt a little ashamed, so he just smiled weakly and accepted another spoonful of mush, followed by a drink of water.

"I wired Roy. He said things are fine back on the ranch. It will sure be good to get back home."

"It won't be the same without Little Joe," Hoss commented sadly.

"Hoss," Ben said. "Come here, son."

"Yeah, Pa?" the boy said as he moved to the bedside.

Ben took Hoss' hand in his own and looked steadily into his eyes. "We'll have to plan a memorial."

Hoss nodded. "Joe was awful fond of that little pinto. Maybe we should let it go?"

"I think that's a fine idea," Ben whispered.

Adam gulped back tears.

* * *

Bonnie and Sean cleaned up the last remnants from dinner. Little Joe was asleep, wrapped in Bonnie's blanket on the ground. Sean looked at him uneasily.

"What is it, darlin'?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm just worried about the little tyke," he said, shaking his head.

"Sean Thomas McBride," she said, and his eyes met hers. "Out with it."

"Well, I'm not one for doctorin', that's your business, but it appears to me he's getting worse, and another night in the cold damp air can't be any good for him."

"Aye, we're in agreement. What would you like to do?"

"If I carried him in my arms, we could make it to town tonight."

Bonnie looked at the child, then back at her husband. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

So it was that Sean McBride walked into the Sheriff's office at midnight with the sleeping Little Joe Cartwright in his arms.

* * *

Hoss heard the knocking before his brother, but couldn't manage to reach the door first.

"Who's there?" Adam called.

"Mr. Cartwright? It's Sheriff Tully. We've got your brother."

Adam turned and looked at Hoss, and then his mind registered just who the Sheriff had. Hastily, he pulled the latch and opened the door.

Little Joe was in the arms of a stranger, fast asleep. Adam took him carefully from the man's grip. The boy stirred slightly, but did not wake. Adam held him close for a moment, and Hoss stroked the child's hair.

"He feels warm," Adam said with some concern as he carried him to the bed.

"He's got a touch of cold," Bonnie explained. "My husband found him sleeping in the woods, with nothing but leaves to keep him warm. We tended to him at home a few days, and he seemed better, but -"

"The trip was a bit too hard on him, I'm afraid," Sean finished.

Although they were eager to speak to the McBrides, neither Cartwright could tear himself away from Little Joe. Touching Joe's arm with his left hand, Adam held his right out to Mr. McBride.

"I sure thank you for everything you've done," Adam said.

Sean shook his hand eagerly. "I'm just happy to bring him back to you, Mr. Cartwright."

"Adam."

"Sean, Sean McBride." Hoss shook his hand as well, and Bonnie was introduced.

"Reckon I should send word to your Pa," the Sheriff said.

"Wait," Adam called. The Sheriff stopped. Glancing down at Joe, Adam said, "I have a better idea."

* * *

Ben was sleeping when they entered his room. Gently, Adam laid Little Joe on the bed, resting the boy's head on his father's shoulder. Giving Joe a final pat, Adam turned to leave the room.

Ben could have sworn that there was something on top of him. "I must be dreaming," he thought. The he heard a cough, and felt the unmistakable shaking that accompanied it. He opened his eyes. "Joseph?" He said urgently, wrapping his arms around the child. Joe was sound asleep and didn't hear his father, but instinctively, he snuggled against his warm chest.


	11. Day 11

Day 11

"Mr. Cartwright, you're still very weak. I do not believe it well to have your son in here with that cough. You're likely to catch it, yourself."

Ben stroked Little Joe's hair. "My son is not going anywhere," he said with determination.

The doctor shrugged and left the room.

"Pa?"

"Yes, Joe?"

"I'm thirsty."

"Well, let's find you a drink, then!" Happily, Ben struggled to sit upright and reached out for a glass of water.

"I'll get that for you, Pa," Adam volunteered, entering the room. He grabbed the glass and handed it to his father, who then held it for Little Joe.

"Adam!" Joe cried, ignoring the drink, and reached out his arms for his big brother. Adam hugged him, and Joe exchanged the same affection with Hoss.

"How you feelin', halfpint?" Hoss asked.

Joe smiled.

"The McBrides are coming over, and Hoss and I are going to treat them to lunch."

"McBrides?" Ben asked.

"Oh, yeah, they're the ones who found Little Joe," Adam explained.

"You make sure they come here. I want to thank them personally," Ben said.

"I know, Pa. That's exactly what I arranged."

Little Joe coughed, and Ben pounded on his back with one hand. Suddenly, he realized it was the first time in a week that he wasn't in severe pain.

"Thanks, Pa," Joe said, catching his breath.

"I don't know what you been through, little feller, but I sure am proud of ya," Hoss said.

"Well, I was real scared," Joe said.

"Oh, really?" Adam inquired.

"I didn't think I was ever goin' to see you again, Hoss. Or you, Pa. And that made me sure scared."

"Well, we were plenty scared for you, too, Joseph," Pa said and then hugged him. "But we don't have to worry now. We're all together now, and that's all that matters."

Adam and Hoss grunted their agreement and the family scooted closer together around the bed, all touching each other in some way.

"I hope we're not interrupting," Bonnie called from the doorway.

"Oh, no," Adam said, turning to shake both her and her husband's hands. "Pa. I'd like you to meet Sean and Bonnie McBride, the folks who brought our Little Joe back to us."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Sean said, shaking his hand. Ben was about to shake Bonnie's hand, but had to wait until she was finished hugging Joe.

"You have such a wonderful family, Mr. Cartwright," she said. "Especially Little Joseph."

Smiling, Ben agreed with her. "You know that there is no way for me to possibly thank you enough for what you've done," he started.

"No need for thanks, Mr. Cartwright," Sean said. "It's what any human being should do for another, no more, no less. And he's a fine lad. I was glad for the masculine companionship." With this, Sean snuck a wink at Little Joe, who smiled and tried to wink back. Secretly, he promised himself that he would learn to wink as well as Sean McBride.

"Adam," Hoss asked quietly, "Would it be all right if I brought someone else along to lunch?"

"Sure, Hoss. Go ahead."

Hoss slipped quietly out the door. Mrs. Owens was in the hall, carrying an empty bottle out of one of the patient rooms. "Mrs. Owens?"

"Hoss, you're looking so much better! How's your father?"

"He's much better, ma'am. And they found my little brother last night, he's gonna be all right, too!"

"That's wonderful, Hoss! I'm so happy for you!"

"Mrs. Owens, I was wondering if you would like to come to lunch with, well me and my brother Adam, we wanted to thank the folks that found Little Joe, and you sure helped me out a lot, and I'd like to thank you, too." He stopped and took a deep breath. "So what I'm asking is, will you come to lunch with us?"

She smiled. "I'd be delighted."

The End


End file.
